I've used this mic for about 4 yrs; I think its going for pretty cheap these days...I know it gets bashed on the message boards and some forums, but it has done me well...I like it on acoustic guitar...not so sure about vocals(although its probably my voice and not the mic's fault )

would be interested in hearing your opine if you decide to pull the trigger, especially since you have an ART Gold preamp and could relay some tips on using them together...

_________________it's funny, the older you get, the older you wanna be

I've used these mics on several occasions. In an X Y in front of a choir I find them quite bright, or perhaps brassy might be a better word. Not in a bad way. Just not silky, smooth. Like box said though - good on acoustic - I did a session once with a pair of them on the piano with good result - not so good for vocals though.

I used them once as drum overheads. They were just OK. I like my Studio Projects C4's better. I would describe the C100's sound as bright, bordering on brittle. My C4's are bright too, just not as harsh. Both mics render a realistic sound with lots of detail.

Well I tried it for about 2 hours this morning . Can't say I'm impressed so far . I tried it with the LA610 pre first (which usually compliments the most unworthy mics) Brittle is an understatement on my Martin D-18 . The Taylor was even worse.I'm not sure the Art is going to sound any better. I'll play with it a bit more . I've just never found anything that captures the Martin the way I want.

I've just never found anything that captures the Martin the way I want.

An AKG C414B-ULS or XLS will reproduce the sound you produce. They are not silky but honest and absolutely not brittle or harsh.

The ULS's are the old model and can still be found used. I picked one up locally on E-bay about 4-5 years ago for $350 (probably the best gear bargain ever for me). The XLS is the current model and goes for about a grand new. Great all around LDC's.

Just a thought, have you tried a ribbon mic? I bet your Martin and Taylor would sound awesome through a nice ribbon running through one of your high end, higher gain pre's.

I recommend The AKG 535. It is a small diaphram condenser. It is about $350 (Canadian dollars). Very versatile. Not brittle - great on a snare, but also acceptable for vocals (I used it before i got some other vocal mics). My bud has a vintage Gibson J200 and the the 535s are great on it. The Gibson is quite a different sound than the d 18, but if you can try the 535s you may be pleased.

I use a Rode M3 to record acoustic guitars which costs about USD150. It is a small diaphragm condenser & works well. I also use it for vocals but it is not as good as a larger mic. I have found that a small mic works better on acoustics unless of course you have a large, nice sounding room to work in. The M3 is very directional & cuts out nasty reflections in a crap room.

Anyway, just my 2 cents worth.

_________________Life's a shit sandwich. The more bread your have, the less shit you have to eat.

I've had good results with my matched pair of C4's as well, but then I haven't had a Martin or Taylor as a signal source...Yet .

An audio production/recording engineering class I was in once did a mass test of multiple mics on a guitarist with a high-dollar boutique guitar back in the early 90s. I remember the 414 being outstandingly crisp, but the Senn 421 was the warmest. Caused me to buy one.

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